Adjustable window guard



'J. F. SMITH ADJUSTABLE wINDQwGuARD Filed Julyz?. '1944 Dec. 18, 1945.

lllllllllll 'llll IN1/MMR. BY dos F.' SMI TH llllilillllllll :Ef:

Y vention allowsthe. use of.

for: locking. requirement, at-.the..same Atime, efr

Patented Dec. 18, 1945 :i

STATES PATENr-@FICE-*17:

Window guards vvof -that type whichhasea hinged end, which, Iwhen the guard is in place in the window, issecured rigidly and'locked to prevent unauthorizedgremoval of the guard, and which may-belunlocked to allow escape through the wlndowjas in-caseof fire, or for vwindow cleaning or removal-to another location.v f

Window :guards are known which have -locking features; but these ordinarily are made to exact rmeasurement to flt the particular Window frames withV which .they are` to be'used. There are also expandable features known, bul-.their methods are complicated and of expensive construction and are outside the reach vof many low incomepurchasers.

`The inventor has been manufacturing window guards forten years and selling them all over America. This invention is a vresult of a long experience, calculated to remedy the various difculties experienced, ysome of most frequent occurrence.' f Elimination of Yerrorsfin measuring and installing.: Dealers ordering guards will often make a mistake (assmall. as als inch) in measuring'the window span. i. Confusiom rebuilding,` returning andreshipping and cancellation results.

vEnable dealers to carry guardsr in stock. Window frames and sashes are normally built in stock sizesfranging yfrom twenty inches by .twenty inchesto` forty-two inches by thirty-six inches.

, Installing altersthese sizes and as a resultnal sizesI are different by fractions of an inch, creatingj thousands oiudiilerentr sizes. Consequently guardsgare now largely being tailor-made to fit individual conditions. y I Provide adjustment. Window guards need to be singly adjustable,y at least two inch adjust- A' l .loe F. Smith, Memphis, Tenn."

' Applicationjulyzv,1944,*seia1n6-54639a d Y n l s v I 4 claims.' (01.160-223) i f This invention'relates to stock sized yadjustable fecting a'hinge which rigidly expands the guard into place and also making thev guard adjustable for manyv different sized windows.

AThe objects vof thepresent invention are:

To provide 'a simple and elilcient window guard To eliminate errorsl in measuring, ordering and installing window`guards;i

ment inwidth would allow a stock size for each stockzsized. window, and the hundreds of variations from these stock sizes couldbe cared for Within the adjustment. f

Allow for unassproduction and reduced cost. Meetingexact measurements has resulted in slow tailor-made production. By reducing requirement to. a given number ofv stock guards, lassemblylinelmethodskcan be employed; interchangel ajbleiparts manufactured in mass can be effected;l

of! season employment can be provided; and .the usua1. American mass production/principle will r'be instrumental in greatly reducing the cost to all purchasers.

Locking.-features. 1The.simplicity. of this inthe ordinary padlock To'provide a window guard which can ybe car'- ried in stock by manufacturers and dealers, thereby-eliminating tailor-made trade practices which are costly and keep the price of` window guards:

beyond the reach of` low income purchasers;

To provide an Vadjustable window guard hav,- ing provision for. substantially'symmetrical adjustment of its opposite sides;

To provide a guard through mass production and use 'of interchangeable partswhichiwillpermit year-roundmanufacture, and simplify and vcombine many features now unobtainable.

. Fig. `l is an elevation showing aeguard'in place inthe window frame. 1

Fig.,2V is an enlarged `fragmentary plan showf ing one end of the guard. I

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing theopposite end of the guard; and

Fig. 4 a fragmentary elevation showing fthe end of the guard shown in Fig. 2.

Both Figs. 1 and 2 show the inner side of the guard. @Referring ,now to the drawing in which the various parts `are indicated by numerals:

y-l I, I3 areoppositeportions of a window frame between which portions the guard is disposed. The guard comprises top and bottom rails I5,l

I1, ends I9, 2|,.and grill rods 23 carried at their upper andlo'wer endsyby the top and bottom rails respectively.

l The top and tially equal length. Each hasvhole's at spaced intervals for.reception of the grill rods i 23,; 24,. which may be of; any desired cross section,y butV as here shown,;are1square.- The grill rods have central portions of equal length terminating in shoulders A which abut against the, under and upinward, the flattened portions 23A thus formed. terminating to. form the shoulders.. The-holes in the railsland I1 are-.punched to conform to the outer ends ofthe rods and are of the shape of the end'jof the rod 23, in Fig, 2. Additionally bothk upper-1, and lower rails are punched. adjacent y bottom rails are straight mem-fnV bers, preferably ofangle iron and of ,substan-.

their ends to receive at their locking ends rivets and 26, and at their opposite ends clamping bolts 2`I and 28.

The end members I9 and 2| are also preferably of angle iron, and comprise vertical portions, designated by the end member numerals I9 and 2|, which portions seat against the Window frame members I I and I3, and upper and lower legs 3|, 33, and 35, 31, respectively, which slidably engage. the upper and lower` railsy I5 and` II. Theflgs;f35 and 3..'I of oneend member are.` provided with slots 39 and 4|, (the slots in the upper leg only being shown) which respectively.l

bolts 2'I and 28. These bolts@ ares'onthe inside,-

of the angle iron rails which permit their being. loosened or transferred from the outside.

11 The. lower leg; 33v of theA opposite. or locking endmemberisshortened sothatit does not reach to the rod 23 and is provided with a. single.- slot: corresponding` to theslots 39 ofthe opposite end membergandlis slidably andr turnably secured by therivet, 2B.y to the lower rail;` IFI.V

The upper leg 3| of the; end: member I9 has a slot 43 adapted to4 shiftably.` receive the rivet; 25 carried. by` thek upper; rail,l one side of the slot having notches 43A into any one of which the. rivet, 25` may. be shifted.. These notches: are: spacedonehalf of. any major adjustment which",` istonbe made: in the widthof the guard, that, is ifi a guardie; for: use, inY a thirty inch window it may be narrowed foruse. in' a twenty-nine inch,. on widenedk for usein a thirty-one inch window, the three'notches. spaced at: one-half inch intervals. effecting. one: half of. the desired one inch decrease or increase in width.. at. that side-of the. guard by shift of the rivet one-lnotchA either way from the center notch, and the.A balance of the decrease. or increase. be madeI at .the opposite slidably adjustable side, and any. minor. varia tion im Width be cared for by such slidably and incrementally adjustable side. Theleg 3| is also provided? with additional holesl 47, 49 and: 5I at respective notch spacing fromthe proximate: one oftheinotches 43A.

The upper rail is also provided with a pair'ofi ho1esf'53- andl 55 whichregister with underlying holes of the legv when th'e rivet' is-in one of the'l notches-43A and the leg extended straight-beyond? the rail I5; As shown, the holes in the. upper railregisterfwith the holes 49S- and 5I= of thel leg-,v` y 521 iis a padlock having' a staple 59, here shown as'engaged in these registering holes. Theleg 3| preferably extends inward past the`- first off thegrilli rods 23?, the vertical side of theleg angle1v and aportion of the horizonta1 side beingA cut-awayso that the extending portion 31A seats against the -rod 23f when the legv is locked; andv acts a's-'a` lever or handle: in hinging the guardVv forvextension into place or breakingdownl for removal-from place.

With the lock` removed: the leg` 3|? of tlie endy member may belaterally shifted` tol disengage the rivet; v25.y from-that one. of the notches 43A in; which?. it. is.k engaged; and the end member shifted; inward' orY outward; asf they case: may be, tafdecrease: or increases the width of the guard;`

Ifz. for.: instancetthe decrease desired in the. widtlrv ofstheignard fromthatshownislonefinch, a shift; torarnotch one-half inch: awayi would establish the; total-shift for: that side;v of thea guardl and;k

thefremaning; decrease 1in: width. of.Y the:v guardi bel accomplish'ed by loosening the bolts 28 and 21 and shifting the end member 2| approximately the same amount, this maintaining the symmetrical positioning of the rods 23 and 24 with respect to the window, the slidable adjustment of the end 2| permitting any necessary over or under shift of that end to compensate for irregularities or minor differences of the window frame Width.

With. the width of the guard established the guard may be2 broken about the rivet 25 as a hinge to permit the removal or replacement of the guard of established width in the frame, this movement being indicated by the dotted positioning 3IB,.in Fig. 2. Incidentally, if the upper rail be an. angle iron the vertical leg of the angle iron must be cut away at |5A to allow such shift. When: the'end'. member I9 is swung back into alinementwith the rails I5 and II and the staple 59"of'the lock engaged, the end 3|A of the upper leg; 3| of the end-l member restsi against. the edge of the. rod l23 and. eiectually preventsy disengage ment of.. the rivet. from the; notches.

Withv this construction, top andv bottom rails may be madeupfin` quantities during` slack. seasons asy may bethe. rods` and theend members |.9r and 2|.,u itbeing particularly noted thatany height of end member may` be used for the: top and bottom rails so. that it. is only necessaryto select; from stock atop'rail and abottom rail of, desired length, an end` member I9y andan: end member 2|. of desiredl height, and suchenumberJ of rods as may be necessary forY the.. particular length of topi and bottom. rail?v selected.

Inl assembling, theurods may,- be: slipped: down..- ward into the holes in the bottom rail until their shoulders4 seat;. the; top rail. be then positioned over the rods: and slipped down on. them until it seats ony the shoulders. of the:l rod, the end: member |59.A placed` between the, rails and the.` rvets25Y and 2,6- inserted and headed to secure. the end member I9 tothe rails. These. may bev shouldered: rivets, as disclosed. in Eig. 4,. butin any event are not sol tightly set: up as toY clamp the legs tothe rails and. prevent shift and.' ad justment.. Bolts: 21- and 28S are then placed; through the; holes, in'. the'. upper: and? lower rail and the complementary slots iinv the end. members and theguard-.isready for use:

Should' it be desired, both ends of the; guard.. may be made slidably adjustable in conformity' with the end.` 2 Ii and. thef locking feature omitted;

It willzbe understoodthat the shoulderszformed. on. the.- bars are. forv the purpose of,A preventing' verticale displacement: of the bars relatively-v tw the rails, and for that purpose that'. where flat` barsV are used'4 twisting: of suchl bars: immediately below: theA upper. and above` the. lower `rail' will provide thenecessaryf shoulder. In. any case, riveting or welding is. eliminated, making. for:

further` economy in manufacture.y

I claim:

1. Anzadjustable' windowsguard, for use inwindows having frames'. of differing. sizes, saidlguard' including longitudinally disposed rails.. and.I ver-- tically disposed. ends' adjustable: in the direction. ofi the length of said rails', aA ilrstof said: ends. being constrained.- for longitudinally' sliding,= movement .andl the second for. slidingand pivotalll movement, and meansfonclamping saidznrst .endl

tosaid rails inianyfpositionof adjustment, saldi. second end including a horizontal porti'oriashifteably contacting: oneof said rails, said; portion having therethrough. a :longitudinally extending: slot` anda plurality: ofi holes; andi, said carryi-l ing a, pivot pin extending through said slot, said slot being notched along one side at equal intervals for engagement, by transverse shift, with ysaid pin and establishment of defined pivotal locations, said holes being spaced apart at-equal intervals with said notches, said rail having holes therethrough adapted to register with holes of said end portion when said pin is in notch engagement, and a lock having a staple adapted vfor engagement through said registering holes.

2. An adjustable ywindow guard, for use in windogWs having frames of diiering sizes, said guard including longitudinallydisposed rails and oppositely disposed ends, each including a vertically disposed portion and horizontally disposed leg portions slidably under and overlying said top and bottom rails respectively, and being adjustably shiftable in the direction of the length of said rails, a first of said ends being constrained for sliding movement and the second for sliding and pivotal movement, and means for clamping said Iirst end to said rails in any position of adjustment, said second end having through one of its leg portions a longitudinally extending slot anda plurality of holes and the adjacent said rail carrying a pivot pin extending through said slot,

- said slot being notched along one side at equal intervals for engagement, by transverse shift, with said pin and establishment of defined pivotal locations, said holes being spaced apart at equal intervals With said notches, said rail having holes therethrough adapted to register with holes of said end portion when said pin is in notch engagement, and a lock having a staple adapted for engagement through said registering holes. Y

3. An adjustable window guard, for use in windows having-frames of differing sizes, said guard including longitudinally disposed rails and oppositely disposed ends, each rail end including a 40 vertically disposed portion, and horizontal leg portions slidably under and roverlying said top and bottom rails respectively, and being adjustably shiftable in the direction of the length of said rails, a iirst of said ends being constrained for sliding movement, and the second for sliding and pivotalmovement, the legs ofv said first end being longitudinally slotted and having through said slots, bolts carried by said rails to effect clamping engagement therewith in any position of adjustment; said second end having through one of its said leg portions a longitudinally extending slot and the adjacent said rail carrying a pin slidably disposed through said slot; the other said leg portion having therethrough a longitudinally extending slot and a plurality of holes therethrough and the rail adjacent thereto carrying a pivot pin extending through said slot, said slot being notched along one side at equal intervals for engagement by transverse shift with said pin and establishment of defined pivotal locations, said holes being spaced apart at equal intervals with said notches, said rail having holes therethrough adapted to register with holes of said end portion when said pin is in notch engagement, anda lock having a staple adapted for engagement through said registering holes.

4. An adjustable window guard including upper and lower rails and end members forming a frame, both of said end members being shiftable in the direction of the length of said rails to vary the width of said guard, means for establishing step by step positioning of one said end, and locking means for securing said end in a selected one of said positions, and means for clamping the opposite said end in any positioning necessary to effect with the i'lrst said end the desired Width of 

